Guests: John Batchelor, Dr. Don Yeomans, Dr. David Livingston: Topics: Near Earth Objects and Asteroid 2012 DA14. You are invited to comment, ask questions, and discuss the Space Show program/guest(s) on the Space Show blog, https://thespaceshow.wordpress.com. Comments, questions, and any discussion must be relevant and applicable to Space Show programming. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are not permitted without prior written consent from The Space Show (even if for personal use) & are a violation of the Space Show copyright. We do not permit the commercial use of any Space Show program or part thereof, nor do we permit Space Show programs to be edited, placed on YouTube, or other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted in news articles, papers, academic & research work but must be cited or referenced in the proper citation format. Contact Dr. Livingston for questions about our copyright and trademark policies which we do enforce. This program is archived on The Space Show website, podcasting, and blog sites with permission from John Batchelor. Please visit the John Batchelor Show website for more information about this fine program, www.johnbatchelorshow.com.

During our 11 minute plus discussion with Dr. Don Yeomans of the NASA Near Earth Object Program Office at JPL, we talked about the 17,500 mile approach to Earth of Asteroid 2012 DA14. This asteroid will be this close to Earth on Feb. 15, 2013. We discussed the asteroid’s orbit, possible collision with our satellites, and how we might deflect or mitigate the damage of an object this size that might be headed for Earth impact. This particular asteroid is probably made of rock and has a 45 meter diameter. Dr. Yeomans also talked about the search for potential NEOs that could impact the Earth, breaking the search down by the size of the space object. Our guest suggested the best viewing spots for trying to see Asteroid 2012 DA14 but unfortunately the sites are not in the U.S. To really see it, one would need binoculars or a telescope.

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